where do we go from here 4: reunited,turn apart
by zantha19
Summary: Azula has retuned. Zuko has to put his past behind him, and that means dealing with Azula, who is out for revenge against the people who betrayed her. Zuko and Toph will be pushed to their limits, to end this once and for all. this is now a rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

**This is part four of the ongoing story, that I am now rewriting. You don't have to have read the three parts before this one to understand it, but it would help a little. Hope you like it. **

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The winter and spring had passed since Sokka and Suki's wedding, it was now summer again, this marked the two year anniversary of the end of the hundred year war. There had been no sign of Aang in all this time, it was as if he had vanished again. Most people accepted the fact that he had just come back to end the war, Then had left. His friends knew better, but it didn't make the waiting any essayer.

Zuko was going to be eighteen very soon, this meant he was going to be taking over as fire lord. He had been planning for this for two years, he had it all worked out, he was going to propose to Mai, after he was crowned fir lord.

He was now searching the market in the heart of the capital, for the perfect ring, it was a little early, but he liked to be prepared. The sun was the warmest it had been that year, giving everyone in the capital a boost of energy. It had been this, that had made Zuko realise that he should now start to make plans for what was to come. The ring was the an important part of this, so it made sense to get that first. He had had to sneak out of the palace before he saw Mai, didn't want to have to lie to her about where he was going.

As he walked from stall to stall, he could make himself concentrate on the varies pieces of jewellery and fabric among other thing that where lead out in front of him. The rest of the gang where going to be visiting for hid birthday, and would be arriving in the next few days, as they unfortunately had a lot business as the ambassadors of their nations to go over. He never realised how much he missed his odd extended family till he got to see them again.

He had been searching for almost an hour, when he decide to give up, he had been to early in looking for the ring, and his mind was on other things. As he turned back towards the palace he saw someone he recognised, standing under the canopy of a stall selling what looked like various weapons.

"Katara!" As she turned around to face him, he walked to wards her.

"Sorry, frayed not….sparky" Toph said with a smile growing across her face.

Toph had grown since the last time he had seen her. He had not really seen her at the wedding, as she had avoided him, so he her new height cam as a shock. She was now a tall fifteen year old, well taller. She was dressed in the outfit that Katara had worn to hid in the fire nation during the war, this was why Zuko had thought she was Katara. Her hair was half down half in her trade mark bun.

Toph could feel Zuko's eyes on her, trying to put together what he saw in-front of him "I need new clothes, so Katara gave me some that she had out grown" as she spoke, Toph took the skirt in her hand, and pulled it out at the sides, like she was going to curtsey, which she didn't.

A smile was now on the princes face too "you know that the war is over, you don't have to disguise yourself when you come here"

"I know, I just thought I would make the effort to…."

"its easier to take Katara's old clothes, than to pick them out for yourself. isn't it"

Despite being blind, Toph was very good at sending a look at you that let you know exactly what she was feeling, at times. The most common one was her not one more word. It was a mix of this look and the lesser seen, ok you win, now just shut look that was shout at Zuko now. The look was washed off her face as a very large man pushed past Toph to get to the stall, almost knocking her over. Zuko took a couple of steps to the side of the stall, directing himself and Toph out of the way of the crowed.

"not that I'm not glad to see you" he didn't add, and looking so well "but I thought you weren't coming for a few days"

"I wanted to surprise you guys by coming early. I would have been here earlier, but I had work to do in Omashu"

"While, you are three days early" he was trying to keep her happy, after what had happened the last time they had really seen each other. She was ever really fine, and coping or it was an act, if so he would just have to play along.

"I had planed at least six, but Bumi just had to have a new mail system"

"Bigger"

"Oh yeah bigger" Toph extended her arms out, as far was she could to make her point.

"It is good to see you any way……after last time" the words had just came out, he wasn't sure how much to push her, he would have to tread carefully. He watched her face to see what expression was going to cross it.

"Let's not spoil this lovely moment. Ok" she had been worried about meeting Zuko again, but she was all about facing things head on, and that is what she was going to do "I spoke to Bumi" she didn't really have to say any more. Iroh had told him everything she had said at the wedding. It seemed that she had despite what she said about not dealing with it, had talked to Bumi about it. That had to be a good thing.

"I'm glad"

" is that all you have tri say, that has to be the fourth time you have said your glad" Toph mad her point more forcibly by showing Zuko some affection, her own way.

As he finally moved away from the now crowed stall with Toph falling, he rubbed his arm, Toph had differently not gotten weaker, if anything she had gotten stronger

"so what are you shopping for… a ring" her sing song voice, rang in his head.

He had forgot how good Toph was at seeing right through him, it like she knew "actually, yes"

"about time sparky" the smile that had been on her face while she teased him, was now a total grin. It was nice to see him happy, he deserved it. It also made all that they had gone through seem with it, to know her friends were happy.

"I can't find anything that's right, none of the rings I se are right. I was going to leave it for the day.….Do you what to come back to the palace, Mai would love to see you"

"whatever you say" it was no secret that Toph and Mai hadn't really hit it off.

"while, I know my mother wants to see you again" he was worried how she would take this. Speaking to Bumi, probably about her grandfather, was one thing. Talking to his mother, about the mother that she had never got to know, was something completely different.

She was silent for a moment, as if she was making an important choice "yeah I would like to talk to her too" Toph knew that she was going back on her word, she had said she didn't want to deal with any of it, but she couldn't help herself. This she realised must be what Katara had meant when she said she was a masochist. Just hearing more about the mother she would never know, was going to be hard she knee that yet she would do it any way. Curse her straight forward, facing things head on nature, it really caused a lot of problems, and pain.

They made their way to the palace in a comfortable silence. It was at this point that Zuko noticed, Toph was still wearing the bracelet Aang had given her, two years ago. To most people it was nothing special that she wore it. It was a symbol of her title as grand master eathbender. Zuko knew better, It was the way she played with it that gave it all away. He missed Aang too, and didn't understand how he could stay away for so long like this.

As they got closer to the palace Toph felt that something was not right. The sun seemed cold, yet it was burning down on her, in the heat of the day, and the earth under her feet seemed to ache. A cold wind blew behind them, blowing her long her in her face.

"something doesn't seem right. Can you feel it" she said as she stopped, glued to the spot.

"Mai"

That was all he said. He just ran as fast as he could to the palace.

Toph took a deep breath, before she too run to the palace. _Please don't let me be right, not this time_.

If she had tried to she could have used the earth to overtake him, but she didn't. she maintained a distance behind him. The closer she got, the clearer it all became, and the surer she was she was right, and she knew Zuko had to lead the way on this. This was only one of the times in her life that she hated, truly hated her form of sight. It let her see to much, to deeply.

The palace was in a eerie silence. The stone, marble and iron that made up the palace all felt like ice to the touch. Zuko knew where he was heading.

The room was almost in total darkness, The only light was from the window. It created a pool of light in the centre of the room. In the light she lay. There was hardly any blood. She just looked as if she was sleeping. She had been killed with her own weapons. There was no sign on a struggle.

Zuko fell to his knees, he wanted to reach out and touch her one last time, but he just couldn't. none of this seemed real. It was all a nightmare, he was going to wake up any minute. The sun out side continued to move, its light now feel on him. The world out side was continuing to move, as it always would, but in this seemed time had stopped. For one person permanently.

He felt a cool hand on his shoulder, it was small yet it brought him crashing back into the world. He turned to her, still on his knees and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. He didn't trust himself to stand yet. She held on o him, not as tightly as he was holding on to her, she had to be strong for him, so her arms, and body remained rigid.

"I am so sorry" it sounded so hallow, it meant nothing now.


	2. author's notes

**Hello. I'm just writing this note, so that the story will be updated sooner. So I will take this chance to say thank you for taking an interest in the story, I hope you will keep reading it and like it. I will also say that the six reviews this story has are from the first time I posted it, as this story is now a rewrite. So please I know I have said this a lot in my other story, but please review or pm me, with you thoughts, or ideas for the story thank you. **


	3. Chapter 2

Everyone arrived a few days later, as planned. Zuko hadn't wanted to send messages to them, telling them what had happened. In his mind if they didn't know, if they still thought of her as alive then she still was, he wouldn't have to face the truth.

Toph never left his side. They didn't say more than a few words to each other in this time, they didn't have to. Like her element she was his rock, something unmoving in his world that was spinning around him. When he realised this, and the irony of it hit him, it brought a small, faint smile to his face, despite himself.

Iroh worried for both of them, he was glad that Toph was there to help his nephew, but he worried that she was also using it as an excuse for not dealing with her one loss. They hadn't spoke much either, so he was not aware that her reason for coming so early was to talk to Ursa, about her loss, her mother.

The day after the gang, minus Aang had all come together, They held a short memorial at sunrise. Zuko had wanted to keep the whole thing out of the publics notice. Having everyone pretend that they knew her, and they really cared, that this had changed their lives was just to much for him. Katara felt that was a little odd, but trusted he knew what was best.

They spent the rest of the day in the palace, just catching up. Despite the circumstances, they where glad to be together again. At first the conversation had been tense, stupid comments about the weather, and work filled the air, till Suki spoke up. She told the story of how she, and the Kyoshi warriors had been ambushed by Mai, Ty lee and Azula. She told this story, to back up her comment that Mai was despite the way she acted a very strong fighter. This opened up the others, Toph spoke about the arguments she the two of them had, when she was staying here a year ago, but also how she had respected her, as she was the only person, other than herself that could hide their feeling so well.

Ty lee, was uncharacteristically quite. She sat next to Suki, he eyes fixed on the window to her left. She was wishing she could be anywhere but here.

As an laughter, uneasy at first filled the room, Zuko finally spoke. He told them how he had planned to ask her to marry him. At one point he almost stopped, then he felt a warm hand in his cold one. His eyes that had fallowed to his feet, as he spoke, not wanting to look any of them in the eye, looked up to find Katara's deep blue eyes looking right into his. She was giving him a very faint smile, telling him it was ok. He continued his story, with Katara's hand still in his.

When the sun started to set Zuko left, leaving the others to continue their catching up. He went out onto the large balcony, where he and Mai had watched the crowds arriving for the ceremony that would make himself, Toph, Katara and Aang ambassadors. It was also where he had planed to propose to her. It was her favourite place in the palace, he thought it was because she could look down on everyone from here.

"So. what did the note say" There was a different tone to her voice now. It was like she had a huge weight on her that she couldn't shake off.

She like everyone else was wearing black. A fitted jacket with a long skirt. It made her look even more fierce, so no one asked her where she was going when she left, they had a very good idea any way.

"What note" Zuko didn't even turn to look at her. He kept his gaze set on the horizon in front of him.

"The one that was left, you picked it up so fast, so no one else would see it" she moved to stand next to him. Resting her arms on the rail.

Closing his eyes, and taking in a deep breath, he answered her "It was from Azula. It just said. Hi Zuzu"

"So what are you going to do" she knew in the back of her mind what he was going to say, but she felt like she had to ask, to have it confirmed.

"I have to catch up to her, and stop her. Whatever it takes" the determination and angry in his voice frightened her. This must be the way he had been when the others had first met him, letting his anger control him. She finally felt what they had been talking about.

Knowing it didn't make any difference to her, but hoping it would to him, Toph took hold of his shoulders, and forced him to face her. He was much taller, and border than the last time she was in the fire nation, and she now felt his angry pouring out of him.

"don't you dare go back to that. I've heard from the others what you were like, and if you let yourself go back to that, then I'll kill you myself. Do you hear me. I stood up for you, got burnt to help you, don't make me have done that for nothing"

As she had spoken, Zuko had tried to avoid her blind gaze, but he couldn't do that forever. When he finally did look her in the eyes, he thought he saw a tear building up her in her right eye. He didn't say anything, but she felt his body under her hands become smaller. He was calming down, controlling his anger.

When she felt she could trust him, she dropped her arms to her sides "Where do you think she will be, I mean where are you going to start looking"

"She is targeting the people she thinks betrayed her, but I don't know where she will go next"

Toph turned to face away from the grieving prince. She hated it, but she knew she had a pretty good idea what Azula was think "I think she will go after Ty lee next. If she was after the rest of you here, she would have made her move by now. She hasn't, I think she is going after everyone in the order that she felt they betrayed her. Mai was the one that made her paranoid about everyone, then Ty lee. Your parents I think would be next. she isn't thinking clearly"

A cold wind blew, chilling Zuko to the bone. It wasn't just that that chilled his blood, all that Toph said made since, it was exactly what Azula would do. He didn't want to think about how Toph knew this, how she could think like his sister. A look at her, resting on the rail, told him she too didn't want to think about it either, so he let it go.

"so Ty lee…is the next target…"

"What… how could you keep that to your self" Suki over heard the conversation, as she walked past the balcony to her and Sokka's room. She was now moving to slap Zuko, crossing the balcony in big strides. He hand raise in the air, But as it moved to hit the prince it hit a metal rectangle that appeared out of no where. Once she looked at it more closely, she saw it had come from Toph, who now stood behind her.

"Stop it Suki. It is up to him how he deals with this" she bent the metal back into the hair band she now wore. Both girls were facing Zuko, waiting for him to speak.

Suki got tired of waiting "So what is your plan"

Zuko still didn't say anything he just turned his head back out to face the setting sun.

Toph's heart broke for him; she hated seeing people she cared about hurting so much. When there was nothing she could really do to help. Her hand reached up for the pendent around her neck. She never would admit it, or think about it really, but it hurt, it physical hurt. She had never known her mother, so it shouldn't hurt, but it did. She could only imagine how much Zuko must be hurting now.

"Zuko" her voice was now much gentler "Will you let me take charge now, then after that it is all up to you. I promise"

He didn't look at her he just nodded.

"Ok" she gentle placed her hand on his shoulder, before turning back to Suki "Suki don't say a word to anyone, just leave with Sokka, Ty lee and Katara tomorrow, go back to Kyoshi Island, and stay there. Keep an eye on Ty lee. Don't say a word to her, understand" Toph felt she had to make this point very clear.

"fine, but you two better get in touch with me soon, To let me now what is going on" she didn't wait for a promise, she was to worked up, and frustrated to be near them any longer.

The balcony again feel into silence, as the two benders looked out a the see in the distance, with only one of them being able to appreciate the beautiful view.

"I was going to ask for you all to help" it was the first thing he had said in the last three days, that hadn't had to be prided from his lips.

"why didn't you" Toph took up her place next to him probable again, leaning on the rail like he did.

"Sokka and Suki are married and will probably have kids soon, and Katara has Aang to wait for, you are still young. I couldn't ask you all to put everything you have on the line to help me"

"you are family. You don't have to ask" for one of the rare moments in her life Toph made eye contact with someone, and didn't even know. In one quick move, Toph had pushed herself at Zuko, wrapping her arms around his neck. She had to stand on her tip toes, but it didn't matter. Zuko held her just as tightly as she held him. Silent tears feel from his eyes, landed on the strong shoulder, of the earth bender in his arms.

"I am going to leave now" she waited till she knew his tears had stopped falling, and he felt strong again to stand on his own, before she pulled away "I will be back by mid-day tomorrow, be ready to leave then. Just tell the others I have business to take care of in the earth kingdom, so I left early in the morning"

She jumped off the balcony and was gone. She didn't wait for him to say anything, she didn't want to leave him like this, but she had to, there where things she had to sort out, before she left with him to face Azula. The best way to do it, she thought was to just get it over with quickly.

Zuko didn't even look down to see if she had hit the ground, he trusted she had. He had learned worrying about Toph was wasted energy. It wasn't till then that it hit him, tomorrow he was going to leave to track done his sister. He knew very well how that would probable end. Toph was also coming with him, he didn't remember asking for her help, but like she had said he didn't have to ask for it. He didn't like the idea of her coming, not after the last time, or when he brought Katara with him to deal with Aziula, but deep down he was glad she was coming.

He was along again. For the first time in his life he found himself willing the sun to set, so tomorrow would come quicker.


	4. Chapter 3

The sun was at its height, burning down on the prince, still dressed in black. He was leaning against the wall of a small building built in the corner of the grounds of the fire nation palace. Toph had said to meet at midday, but Zuko had been there since just after the sun had risen. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Toph walking towards him, for the back door of the palace. She like him was still wearing the same thing as yesterday, The only difference was Toph was now wearing black trousers tucked into black boots instead of the skirt. Her lose hair was tied back into a ponytail.

Zuko didn't look at her, till she was standing in front of him. His eyes moved up from her feet, to her face, it was then that he realised that Toph was wearing a top very similar to the one that Katara had worn when she had, had her life changing field trip with him, this one seemed darker, but it was the same one. In his head he let out a faint smile, he could just imagine Toph letting Katara dress her, give her old clothes, rather than having to go and look for new clothes herself.

"Are you ready" his voice didn't betray any feeling. She almost wished he would snap at her, for being late. He pushed himself off the wall. In doing so he stood only an inch away from Toph. Her face was looking right at his chest, and his looked right over the top of her head.

"Ready" she would have tried to lighten the mood, by pointing out the now very noticeable height difference between them, but it wasn't the right time. She found herself taking a large step backwards, this calm attitude with his height and strength was a little worrying. She wasn't sacred of him, just scared of what he was going to do. She knew that she would have to be ready to step in, pull him back if it went to far, but she had hoped that, that wouldn't be necessary. Know she knew that it would be.

He made his way over to open the door of the small building he had been leaning on,

the moment he did she knew what he was planning. She took a stance and bent the metal base of an air balloon, with the balloon trailing behind, out into the court lard, placing it down a few feet away from herself.

Zuko didn't waist anytime, he picked up his pack and jumped into the air balloon, once inside he started to prepare for it to tack off.

"are you ok with flying" Toph had stayed rooted to the spot. Trying to take in as much of the metal base of the balloon as she could. Zuko had forgotten all about her, till he saw out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh yeah I love flying, just get this thing moving" as she spoke she bent the earth under her, to push her of the earth into the air, and into the balloon. Zuko could she how tense her body had become, as she crossed her arms and leaned agents the centre casing. All she could think was, at lest this was metal she could see around her, to an extent. Zuko made a note, not to forget her like that again, not to get so caught up in what else was going on, that he forgot about his friend that had come with him to help.

As the air balloon lifted off the ground, Toph tensed her body up even more, her back almost sank into the casing behind her.

After she noticed they had stopped gaining height, Toph let out a deep breath that she had been holding since they had left the earth. Her body relaxed, her arms remained crossed, but without her fingernails digging into them.

They travelled in silence. Toph to make herself more comfortable, once she felt able to move had put her feet on the top of the railing. And stretched them out, pushing her back further up the centre casing. So she was in no way touching the floor of the base.

Zuko after getting them to the height they would remain at had began pacing around the basket, this was also why Toph had changed her sitting position, to stop him form pacing so much. By getting in his way.

"You now if you keep doing that you are going to wear away the floor. It might take a long time but it will happen" he didn't even look at her; he just turned and walked the other way "So what are you going to do when we find her" she had wanted to ask this

for a long time, but she knew that it would lead to her being asked questions that She didn't really what to answer. She felt that she didn't have a choice thou.

"What did you do about Kenshi" he still wasn't looking at her.

She wished that for once Zuko wasn't so predictable to her. she knew he would ask her this, and yet she didn't have the right answer, she didn't want to say to much, but wanted to say something to help him "I did what I felt was right, you will do the same" her eyes where still fixed on the wide sky in front of her. Even thou she couldn't see it.

"You aren't going to be any more helpful are you" for the first time in over an hour he stood still, and look out at the sky and the water below them. He was standing only a foot or two from were she had perched herself, but he seemed so far away.

"Hey I am coming with you, that is helping" she hadn't meant to snap at him, she just needed to chance the subject, and hoped that it might bring him back to the world around him, instead of stuck in his head.

The rest of the trip went in silence, but the air of tension had gone. Zuko moved closer to Toph, and leaned on the railing. His eyes became fixed on the water below them. Like most people he always thought that water was blue, but looking at it now he saw so many colures in it. There was blue and green, grey of course but there was red and yellow to and he was sure he saw a hint of gold. He almost turned to Toph to tell her to look too, but was just able to stop himself before he said anything.

Toph when he looked at her, was facing the same way he was, her eyes however seemed to be pointed up towards the sky above them instead of the water below. There was a look on her face, that to him said, yes I see it to, it really is amazing. Like she understood.

There were still a lot of questions that Zuko wanted to ask her, about what happened after he and his mother left her, but he knew he wouldn't get any answers. Toph wished she could think of something to say to help him. She just couldn't, it would mean talking about what she had done, and she didn't what to let anyone know how weak she was.

The sun started to set, as they reached the earth kingdom and Zuko began to look out for a place to land. The place they landed was very close to Gaoling, not that Toph would say any thing about it.

"We'll set up camp here. Tomorrow we'll make our way to Kyoshi Island. She has a two day start on us. So we will have keep an eye out from the balloon" Zuko could that the best way to act now, was be giving instructions, it gave him something to focus on.

"What ever you say caption" Toph, gave him a solute. Bringing her right hand up to her forehead, then straighten out her arm in front of her, before using the metal from the centre casing to push her forward onto the ground. It seemed she was going to let the keep an eye out thing go.

Zuko followed after her. Once his feet where back on the ground, he moved to make a camp. He walked past Toph without saying a word. Once he was a few feet in front of her, he was stopped in his tracks by a cube of earth, that went up to his knee, was bent in his path.

"burn it" Toph was now by his side.

"what" as he turned to look at her, she moved round to the other side of the cube, facing him.

A faint smile was on her face "you said once, that you wanted to know if you could bend lava. Lava is very, very hot earth, you have earth in front of you. Burn it" that was all the explanation he was going to get.

Zuko's head told him, to walk away he didn't have time for this. He just couldn't get his body to move. For a few seconds they stayed like this, till Zuko took control of his body. He took a rooted stance, focusing on the cube in front of him. It didn't take him long to burn it. All of his angry was poured into it, burning it, he could feel it all leaving him. That he realised must have been her plan all along.

Once the earth had been turned into as close to lave as it was going to get, Zuko felt it slip out of his control. He brought his eyes up to look at Toph, she was in a stance like his own, her arms out in front of her, as she mover them back in towards herself the lava followed her. She bent it around her head, then sent it towards him. Zuko took control of it again, and copied her, bending it around his head, and back to the earth bender across from him.

They continued bending the lave like substance back and fourth in a figure of eight, till Toph was sure Zuko had worked out some of his anger. He had, had to reheat the lava a few times, as he had found himself losing his control of hit. Toph took control of the lava, for the last time as she bent it back into the earth "well, that went better than I thought"

"you didn't know you could bend lave did you"

Toph gave him a crocked smile, as she shrugged her shoulders "not exactly"

"thanks" he knew he had said the wrong thing as soon as he said it. Toph never liked

to be thanked for something that she just saw as doing what she had to do.

"we should get some rest" she bent an earth tent for herself, then turned back to Zuko who was about to make himself a place to sleep "do you want an earth tent to sleep in too" he let out a faint sigh of relief that again she was going to let what he said go "that would be nice, than…" he didn't finish.

Once his earth tent was bent up, he let himself collapsed in side it. He hadn't realised how tired he was till now, he had been running on empty going throw the motions since he had run into the palace that day. He let his head sink into his pack, that he was using as a pillow, in a few minutes he was asleep.

The minute Toph touched the earth she knew they where close their target, She didn't tell Zuko. He would use the time it took them to reach her, to thinking about what he was going to do. That would end up driving him crazy. He had to just do what his instincts told him to do. She hoped his instincts were better than hers. That meant he would have to be thrown into the situation, without letting Azula have the element of surprise over him. That was going to be hard.

She got him to rest, after getting him to red rid of some of his pent up rage, hopeful giving him a clear head for when he would face Azula. Toph waited till Zuko was asleep. That was the reason she had given him an earth tent, he wouldn't hear her leavening.

She was going to track Azula herself, and keep her in the same place till Zuko caught up to them. She would do the same thing she did with Zuko, get Azula to unleash her anger on her. She hoped that this would meant when the siblings faced each other, it wouldn't be as destructive.

It didn't even worry her that she could be risking her life, for something that didn't really have anything to do with her. If she was really honest she didn't care. It made her feel alive, everything in her life seemed like a dream she was just going through the motions, she only felt alive when she was bending. Even that now didn't have the same effect, so she had to push her self even more, to get the feeling of being alive. Even if it was only for a minute.

Zuko had no idea she left, even thou he was no longer asleep, his mind just didn't let him rest for very long.


	5. Chapter 4

Azula hadn't stopped running since she dismounted the ship that had carried her from the fire nation. Her goal now was the south of the earth kingdom, where she would take a boat to Kyoshi Island and her main goal for the time being, Ty lee. She had it all figured out in her head, kill Mai to get Zuko's attention first, then go for Ty lee. Then she would head for Ba Sing Sa to face Iroh, where she hoped he would be at the time. If she was lucky enough to survive that encounter, she would return to the fire nation capital, to take her rightful place as fire lord, doing whatever it would take to get that. Her family would have to go, that was for sure and she would enjoy doing that. She had not forgotten the Avatar and his friends either, they would pay too, epically the waterbender and the earthbender. In her tormented head, all of this made prefect sense, and was very rational.

Her pace slowed, as she felt her body tire. She looked move closely at her surroundings the trees, and the lake not to far ahead. As she tried to pick up her speed again, an overwhelming feeling that she was heading in the wrong direction rose inside her. Trees had always looked the same to her, but she was sure that the tree in front of her now was the same one she had passed before, many times in fact.

A gust of wind built up, lifting the fallen leaves that covered the forest floor from their place and into the air. She stopped, the leaves were obstructed her sight, and the grey clouds that had been gaining on her since she landed in the earth kingdom covered the half moon, blacking the sky. Panic know took over the fire nation princess, in her mind she told herself to stay still and wait till the wind died down, and she could see more clearly. Her heart however, refused to stop racing. As the wind died down the leaves did not fall, they continued floating in the air. Rather than slowing and they moved faster, and started to in-circle her. She was also very sure the trees where moving too. The forest around her seemed to be closing in on her suffocating her, air seemed to be hard to get enough of, and her body refused to move an inch. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart ringing in her ears, until a rumbling in the distance sounded louder than her heart, then a flash of light, lighting up the world for a brief second gave her a look at her surroundings.

"Avatar, is that you. Show yourself." she had tried to remain calm but her angry, paranoia and fear were reaching boiling point. "Stop it you coward and face me." she tried to move, but couldn't take more than a few steps without risking losing her balance and falling.

It was at this point she heard a voice, it was so eerily calm that it caused a chill to run down he spin. "Did you ever hear the story's of the witch's of the east." the voice was also so quiet, Azula had to strain herself to hear it. Again the sound of thunder filled the air, before lightning gave momentary light. "They were herbalist from the earth kingdom, who healed solders during the war. They found a way to heal broken bones."

"Why are you telling me this." Her voice came out shaky and frightened, she almost didn't recognise it.

The voice continued as if Azula hadn't spoken. As her voice had been so low, Azula didn't find this surprising. "They created bone bending. They only used their bending to heal the wounded, but the fire nation had them hunted down and killed. Just In case they ever used their bending to fight. They knew there was no way that this form of bending could be bitten. It needed nothing to help perform it. Just talent, and a gentle hand." the calm in the voice remained, but the tone was more taunting now.

"What dose any of that have to do with me." Azula was getting dangerously close to losing control.

"Because you are going to face a witch of the east."

With that Azula felt her arms being pulled to the ground. As she looked up, she saw the leaves fall from there orbit around her, And a figure landing after a jump from a nearby tree. They had been there watching, controlling the whole thing the entire time. The rain that had been treating to fall, finally did. "And I don't have a gentle hand."

The figure made it's way towards her, their movements slower now, because of the rain. There was nothing to give away any detail as to who the person was. The figure was all black, apart from the face that seemed to glow white, in the faint star light.

When the figure was a few feet away from her, Azula finally recognised who it was, the eyes that where the only part of their face that could be seen, as the lower part of their face was covered by black material, gave it all away. They were very distinctive eyes. "You." the now recognised figure knelt down, to face the fire nation princess.

"Who where you expecting an old hag in a black clock." Toph lowered the black material covering her month revealing an evil grin on her face, the grin that only one other person had ever seen before, and could not get out of their head.

"So are you going to kill me, or leave me to die…. Like you did the last time." pain shot through her arms, as they where straightened even further in front of her.

"That is not up to me." Toph's voice had remained even the whole time, she could not afford to lose control, let her anger get to her. Zuko had to make the final choice about what was going to happen to Azula.

It was at this point that Toph realised Azula had been burning her way throw the earth underneath her hands. She pulled herself up onto her feet, ready to move well back if she had to. The second the earth was burnt to ash, Azula bent a large ball of blue fire in her hands, that she expanded and sent out at Toph. Who used the earth under her feet, to push herself into the air. Once her feet landed on the earth again, she pulled up a wall of earth to block the attack, as it was finally going to hit her. Toph had to realise Azula's hands to get away from the fire, that was raging on the other side of the wall of earth at that monument.

"looks like your unbeatable technique is not unbeatable after all" the whole area seemed to be filled with Azula's laughter. Toph with her better than most hearing, heard it very clearly. She rolled her eyes, amused at how little it took for Azula to think she had to upper hand. A grin was plastered to her face, the princess clearly didn't know who she was dealing with, she hadn't even started yet.

Toph took five steps back, from the wall. Then ran at it fall speed, when she was close enough she jumped at it, and begin running up it. Once she as one the top, she laid on strong punch, at the centre point. Casing the wall to come crashing down, taking her with it.

Azula was forced to move back. As she tried to get a clear view of what was going on, she felt a hard blow hit her on the back, she was pushed down onto the ground. Lifting her head up she saw the air around her was covered with dust. Toph was a few feet in front of her, and about eight feet in the air, just standing there.

Under her rigid frame, her heart was racing. She could end it now, bend the dust in the air around Azula's neck, like she had hit her with it already. Zuko stopped her from doing that, and Aang. She thought of what they would say if she go through with it. It irritated her that she had thought about again, she hadn't done that in a long time.

Azula jumped to her feet, sending wave after wave of fire balls at Toph. Who just simply dodged all of them. She was bending the dust around her feet and using them to walk on. Meaning she could move any where to avoid a hit. This could go on for along time. Toph knew better that to give up the advantage she had, and she had to keep this up till Zuko got here. Azula was just going to keep lashing out, till she hit Toph, or was hit herself.

The moment that Toph had been dreading finally came, Azula finally lost control. She thought in the second that the lightning light up the sky, she saw a smirk on Toph's face. Her anger at this little brat, thinking she was better than her came out, as she bent a huge wave of blue fire, that filled the area and burnt the dust.

Ash fell from the sky mixing with the rain, Toph cam with it. The ash kept falling and covered both girls. Toph lay on the ground, not moving. Azula made her way towards the grand master earth bender, very slowly as she tried to maintain her balance. She was going to deliver the finally blow, bending a fire ball in her right hand.

"I thought you would be more of a challenge." She was about to kneel down when she felt something tighten around her, pulling her arms to her sides. Toph slowly pushed herself up with her left arm, before resting on her knees. Azula's eyes moved from the earth bender to looked down, she saw the ash had been wound around her like a rope. Her eyes darted back to Toph, who had her right arm out stretched, and was now pulling herself onto her feet.

"I was going to say the same thing to you. Ash is nothing but burnet earth, when it is first made it still has enough fire in it for a fire bender to bend, but you wouldn't really know anything about real bending would you." She spat the last part.

As she had been speaking, Toph had moved closer to Azula. Her eyes were making eye contact, with the princess. That was what Toph wanted. She hated it, but she knew one of her greatest weapons in battle, was the gaze from her sightless eyes. They confused and intimated her adversary. She could feel their heart rate picking up, as they felt her look at them, as if she could see right through them, reading their every thought.

Looking into her eyes was the last strew for Azula "Get away from me you witch!"

She started to struggle against the ash rope. Toph started to step back, she had no idea what Azula was going to do next. She noticed she was trying to move her hands, she was trying to bend the ash. It had cooled to much for her to bend I now. Toph however still couldn't help but smile a little at the scene, despite her shock at Azula's out burst.

"Don't laugh at me you witch….peasant."

" You really don't know anything about be me, do you."

It was at this point that Toph felt the rain stop, and a set of footsteps that she recognised very well making their way towards them.

_About time sparky_.

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**Thank you for reading, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I wasn't going to ask any more question at the end of each chapter, as it didn't work at all in the other parts of the story, but I just wanted to ask. What do you think of the idea of bone bending, I would like to know so that I know how much to use it in future part. Thanks. **


	6. Chapter 5

Zuko had been running as fast as his legs would carry him, the rain had not helped. He realised Toph was gone when the sound of thunder had woken him, he went to check on her. He remembered the last time he had been woken by the sound of thunder. They had all been sleeping around the fountain in the western air temple. As he opened his eyes he was met with the flash of lightning. As his eyes adjusted to being open, he heard a faint laugh. Turning over in his sleeping bag he saw Aang and Toph sitting cross legged at the edge of the opening. The rain was coming down hard, it created a gentle waterfall that the two youngest members of the gang now sat a few inches from. The thunder sounded again, and he saw Aang take Toph's hand, once it stopped he let it go, and counted very quietly. Reassuring Toph that the lightning was still far away.

The moon had come out from behind the clouds as he looked at them. Lighting the water pouring down in front of them into a shimmering curtain. They looked so small, so young, fragile. Zuko felt like he was looking at them for the first time, because they also looked like very different people then the ones he knew. It was then that he made a promise to himself that he would make sure that he never let his father, or sister hurt them.

Toph seemed to turn in his direction. He then became aware of the fact that she would know that he was now awake too. Hoping to get her gaze off him, he turned back over in the sleeping bag. His back now to them again. Nether he nor either of them said anything about that night. Zuko grow to believe that Toph had not noticed his awakening, and left it at that. It was a monument between them, and judging by how often he saw them talk to each other, he guessed it was not very common for then to spend time together.

He didn't think much of Toph's absence, she was not a big sleeper. until the rain started and he saw a flash of blue flame appear in the distance, at first he thought it was lightening, but there was no mistaking what he saw. The promise came back to him again, as he thought how he had broken it.

He was worried about what he was going to find, when he reached his distinction. All he knew for sure at this moment was that he had to end this once and for all, tonight.

"Your late." that was the first thing she said to him. From the minimal destruction of the area, he knew Toph had gone easy on his sister. She had been holding her hear till he got there. Now she was joking and calm. As his eyes had finished taking in the landscape around them they feel on Toph. Her eyes had a look in them that he hadn't seen before, like there really wasn't anything behind them at all. Toph had turned to face Zuko fully, which was odd as she didn't have to. So he saw them more clearly.

He then forced himself to look at his sister, as he stood next to Toph. She was kneeling down a few feet away, tied by the ash rope. Her eyes unlike Toph's showed clearly what was behind them, hate, pure hatred.

Thunder rung through the area again causing Toph to instinctively turned to where she heard it coming from, turning her back on the fire nation siblings. For that split second she was not focusing on Azula, who she didn't see as a danger at the time. That was all it took. Azula shot a large fire ball at the earthbenders back. She hadn't been trying to bend the ash, she had been burning it so she could get her hands free.

Zuko saw what she was doing before Toph had time to react. He tackled Toph to the ground, burning his left arm in the process, as he took the hit from the fire ball.

By the time he was on his feet again, Azula was gone.

"Zuko! Are you ok." Toph too was now on her feet, reaching her hand out to his burnt left one. He moved it just out of reach.

"You called me Zuko. I should be asking you if your ok, or you must care about me." seeing Azula had given him a rush, he knew now that this was going to be the end. That thought was what gave him this burst of energy. Deep down he wanted to fight her again, this time on his own terms, and make her pay for all the pain she had caused. A part of him was trying to get himself to calm down, and not react the way she wanted him too, but he didn't care anymore.

Toph was taken aback by Zuko. This was not the person she knew. He was the person she had known he could be, if he focused all of his emotions into his bending or what he had to accomplish. She had known that he would never be a master firebender, but now he seemed so close, maybe he could.

Before she could say anything he was gone, running after Azula. Then a second later so was she. The earth had now turned in part to mud, slowing all three of them down, not that any of them let that stop them from running at their fall speed.

Toph had been keeping track of Azula as the ran, if Zuko lost track of her she would lead him in the right direction. Until then she keep just behind him, letting him take the lead, like she promised.

She first lost track of Azula, then she noticed a change in the earth up ahead. It just ended, they where running towards a cliff. The mud on the ground wasn't as slippery as it had been, but it was still going to make stopping even harder.

It was too late for her to bend the earth to help, there was no time, she had to act now. Zuko was not slowing, his determination blinded him to anything but his goal, he probably didn't even see the cliff getting closer. Using the earth to increase her speed, Toph gained on Zuko.

Zuko's mind finally processed that a there was cliff, very likely with a long fall on the other side getting closer very quickly, and he had to stop soon, but it was to late. He tried to stop but the mud just made him skid toward the fall faster. When he was less than a foot away from the cliff, Toph tackled him. Pushing them over the edge off the cliff.

The next thing Zuko knew, he was falling fast, and Toph was holding onto his waist very tightly. Toph too didn't remember much of the fall. All that went throw her head, was that she had to turn herself and Zuko over, So she was the one that would hit the ground first, she could take the hit better the Zuko could. Once she had done this her mind went blank. All she had to do now was hold on, and wait for the hit.

They hit the ground with less force than Zuko had expected, he hadn't been aware that Toph had placed herself under him to take the fall force of the impact. His eyes had been clenched shut since she lunged at him and pushed them over the edge. It took him a few seconds to regain his senses, and take everything in. It was then he realised that he was partly still on top off Toph, and she wasn't moving.

"Toph!, Toph wake up." he moved off of her and was now shaking her by her shoulders. Her eyes where shut, not even flickering open. He didn't know why he was taking notice of her eyes, surly that wouldn't tell him anything, she was blind what did it matter to her if her eyes were open or not. He now shut his eye too, to stop the tears he was worried would soon be falling from them.

"Go" her voice was so faint he couldn't hear it, but it got his attention. His eyes shot open to look at her. "Go after her." as she said this her eyes started to open, not that made any difference to her. But to Zuko it made all the difference. There was only one thing that Zuko was sure of in life. That was that if Toph or Aang and his uncle could even just open their eyes they could find away to do anything.

"I can't leave you."

"I'll catch up to you" he found it hard to believe her, she looked so helpless right now. He had lifted her head from the ground and was holding it up with his unburnt right arm. Even thou she couldn't see herself, she knew why he didn't believe her "I promise just go." she had started to sit up now, forcing Zuko to move back. She made a effort to try and met his eyes. Zuko felt a bit less uneasy about leaving her now, as she had that look. The look he saw when they spilt up to end the war, and the one she wore when she took off to distract the guards so he could get to his mother.

"Promise" he too, now looked her in the eyes. Knowing that he would know if she was lying.

"Of course, go." she was also able to give him a small smile too, Before he ran off.

Zuko felt surprisingly calm, as he ran again. He knew what he had to do and was ready for it.

"Azula" his scream wasn't forced by anger it was controlled. It came out louder than he expected. It rang through the trees, Toph heard it was she was finally able to stand on her feet.

Her body wanted to run after him, Even thou she had always planed on staying out of their fight in the end. She just felt an overwhelming need to crush the fire nation princes into pieces with her own hands now, for all the pain she had caused Zuko and Iroh. He did sound calm, but she didn't know what would happen when he came face to face with her, his sister who killed the girl he planned to marry. Her body however wouldn't let her move very far. When she tried to run again, a sharp pain shout through her right side. Placing her right hand in her side, she confirmed what she already guessed, she had two broken ribs. her legs gave way under her. Kneeling on the ground she shut out the light rain that had started to fall, and focused on bending her ribs into place.

She had practiced bonebending on herself, and one other person. She wasn't confident enough with it yet to try and use it to help heal people with broken bones. This was the perfect chance to work on that. Her practice had consisted of bending the bones in her hand, with the other hand, this was surprisingly more difficult.

Azula heard his call, just as clearly as Toph. She had been expecting this meeting to take place much later, But she too was ready for what had to happen. Stopping in her tracks, the fire nation princes turned and waited for her older brother to arrive. It wouldn't be long.

Their heart both raced with excitement. This fight had been a long time in the making. There was so much that they had to say to each other, as family. Now the only way to communicate all they had to say, was with bending, fighting, violence. This was what their family had come to.

The only person that knew that they where both feeling the same thing, was Toph. And all she could do now was wait on the side lines.

* * *

**I hoped you liked it. It took me a while to figure out how to get rid of Toph for a bit. I tried to make it different from the fight between Azula and Zuko in the show, I hope it is. What do you think of the idea of bonebending ? I just wanted to try and add some thing new. All comments are very welcome. **


	7. Chapter 6

It only took Zuko a few seconds to catch up to Azula, who still stood rotted to the spot she had stopped at. She hadn't moved an inch in that time, her face had a eerie look of calm. Zuko didn't see this, as her back was turned to him, when he reached her.

The place that Azula had stopped at, that was soon to become the place of their final battle, Was on the shore of a lake. There where trees on her right and the lake on the left. The moon had remerged from behind the grey clods again, it was a crescent moon. The light from the moon was reflected on the lake. If either of them had taken the time to look, they would have seen how beautiful the place was. It was ironic that they failed to notice and Toph would not be able to see it.

Azula was the first to speak. Her cold voice cutting through the air around them. "I see you haven't changed."

"I have. More than you know, you on the other hand are still the same." Zuko hadn't wanted to talk to her, but it gave him time to formulate a plan.

"I can see that you have changed, you seem think you are stronger now. I meant that you still need a little girl to hold your hand." Azula knew she was getting to him. Even in the dark light she could see the rage building up in his eyes. She wanted to get him to react, to let him rush in without thinking. Her fight with Toph had taken its tool on the princess, she needed to have this advantage over Zuko. "Come to think of it, I thought that earthbending runt was meant to be some kind of special bender. "

"Grand master." he managed to get the words out, though gritted teeth.

"That's it, but she was as essay to get rid off as a little flower" he could see her white teeth in the moon light as she smiled an evil smile.

"She was holding back. She was keeping you there till I came." Zuko hadn't let himself think about this fact. He had known it was the case, but the fear that if something happened to Toph it would be his fault, kept him from acknowledging it fully.

"And why would she do that" despite herself Azula was interested. The idea that someone would do something like that for someone else, didn't' make any sense to her. Unless there was something in it for them at the end. Again thou she didn't see what the blind earthbender could gain from this.

"Because finishing this one and for all, is something I have to do."

With that he bent two fire whips, one in each hand. He bent them out in different directions then brought them back in towards Azula. As they where about to meet, she moved back, but was unable to completely avoid both of the fire whips. She was hit by the end of one of the whips, on her left shoulder.

Azula's mind was racing, she had never thought he would be able to land a hit on her so soon. Tacking a few deep breaths she made her move. She pulled out two fire daggers and charged at Zuko.

Zuko had thought she would do that, let her pride get the better of her. She would lash out without thinking, and he was ready for that reaction. When she reached him, He ducked touching to the ground with his left hand, then kicked out with his left leg, knocking Azula to the ground a couple of feet away. Once he had pushed himself back up into a standing position, he bent four of his own fire daggers. One for both her wrists and ankles. Azula now lay on the cold wet earth held down by the fire daggers pinned to her clothes.

"Why did you do it." he didn't have to say any more, she knew what he was asking her. He had tried to avoided it, but he looked her in the eyes while he waited for his answer.

"She had it coming." that was all she could say, and he knew it was all he was ever going to get out of her. In the mind of his sister, that was a perfectly complete answer, she didn't feel any more had to be said.

"You're not worth it." he turned and walked away, he knew that she wouldn't stay held in place for much longer, and he didn't care. He was done, all of the hate he felt for her just seemed to wash away, She looked so pathetic. A feeling of calm, of acceptance took over him now. "I'm better than you." He said this to himself, but Azula heard.

Hearing that was the final push that sent Azula over the edge for good. In an instant she was on her feet again. In doing so she had gained some nasty burns to her wrists and ankles, but she didn't care. Her rage deadened her to any thing else, except her overwhelming hate.

"Don't you dare walk away from me." Her voice cracked, as she yelled so loudly.

She sent a huge wave of blue fire at Zuko's back. He could tell this was what she was going to do before he turned round to see the blue fire coming towards him. Zuko stood fully facing the fire now. He stood his ground firmly without flinching, until the fire was a foot away, then he brought his hand up to shoulder level. By lunging forward with both hands, Zuko created a path throw the wall of fire. Once the fire was behind him, he brought his arms back into his chest, then back out again. The fire fallowed his movements, and sped back to the person that had created it.

As Azula saw this happened she didn't believe it. Zuko had gotten stronger. From their previous fights she was well aware that Zuko had a talent for blocking fire attacks and that, that was a real skill but she never excepted this. She wasn't going to let him get the upper hand again. As the fire came back at her, she reclaimed control of it. Turning it into stream of fire that went on for at least ten feet. Zuko blocked it before it got to close.

The fire took the form of a large ball in between the siblings, as they both held onto some control over it. The fire in the ball was being pushed and pulled in a number of different directions. It couldn't keep this up for ever. Eventually it gave. Creating a huge explosion, that gave a flash of light as strong as the sun to the surrounding area. Both Azula and Zuko where knocked back a good ten feet.

It took both of them a good few seconds to get to back onto their feet, and for their eyes to adjust to the dark again. Once they where standing, they took a minute to look at each other, as they got their breath back. This was going to be the final blow, and they both knew it. They had made their peace with it.

In the back of his mind, Zuko had one question that kept repeating its self. How did we end up like this. No matter how many times the question crossed his mind, he couldn't came up with an answer. Not that being able to answer the question would change where they where now. Nothing would, that was one thing he knew for sure.

They charged at each other, both with a large ball of fire in their right hand. They each could have bent a move powerful strike, it just seemed more fitting to end it like this. One last close range hit, to end this.

As he charged Zuko got a look at Azula, for the first time in a long time. He looked at her eyes. Eyes that looked very much like his own and remembered when he first realised he was her older brother, that it was his job to look after her, protect her. He was six, he was trying to bent a fire ball in his right had and having a hard time. Azula came rushing into his room, because she was bored. His back was to her, as he final bent a large fire ball. He turned to face her, he must have been to fast, because his outstretched right hand hit her on her left shoulder. She wasn't badly burned, but he still felt horrible about it. His father told him that he needed to learn to control his bending better, it was meant to protect family, not hurt it. There was so much irony to that now. Now here he was charging at her with the intent to kill.

At the moment of impact Zuko moved his hand to block Azula's hit rather than hitting her. They where sent back a couple of inch's. he didn't have the heart to kill.

It was at this point Azula noticed something moving behind Zuko. She built up a lightning attack and sent it past Zuko, and straight for Toph.

Toph couldn't move for the first few seconds. She didn't see the lighting come with great sped towards her, aiming for her chest, but she could feel the change in Azula'a position as she bent the attack. She felt the air around her being displaced, and the heat that was coming at her. Zuko moved to reach her before she was hit. He knew that he wasn't going to be fast enough, but he couldn't stay standing there, doing nothing.

When the lightning was a couple of feet from her, Toph lifted her arms, that had been hanging by her side up to shoulder level. A part of the layer of mud that covered the forest floor lifted into the air, then as she moved her arms to her right, the right arm slightly further forward, the mud did too. The lightning hit the now harder mud, and followed the curve in the mud, redirecting the lightning. Zuko changed his direction, he put himself next to the path the lightning was going to take. As it passed by his shoulder, from the back he took control of it, sending it back to Azula, with as much force as he could manage.

Azula was sent back a few feet. When she tried to get up, she found she couldn't. Toph and Zuko were walking slowly towards her. Toph has her right arm out in front of her. The anger seemed to came over her all at once, as she realised that Toph was the reason that she remained on the ground. Azula looked her in the eyes, wanting to burn her away with the shear force of her hate that she was sending through her eyes, but she saw a look in her eyes that frightened her, it was totally blank, no emotion. "Sorry I took so long." her breathing was uncontrolled, and she looked like she was in a great deal of pain. Her right arm remained steady, it had to, but she was leaning from side to side, as she walked.

Even in her condition Zuko was just happy to see her. He smiled a faint smile. Then turned to face Azula, she was trying to move but still couldn't. His tired eyes, moved back to Toph. He knew there was a connection between Toph's stance and Azula's inability to move, but he couldn't see it.

"I'll tell you later" she felt his eyes on her, so she gave him a slight smile to reassure him. "It's up to you now." she maintained her stance but moved forward a few steps to stand next to Zuko.

"You are a monster, but you are still my sister. I am not going to kill you." he didn't meet her eyes.

"You think are so much better than my. You're weak. Just like uncle, the avatar….. and your beloved Mai" she was despite now, but she knew she was getting to him, so she took her time with the last part, twisting the knife.

To the surprise of both siblings, it was Toph that lashed out. She dropped her stanch, and moved in to punch Azula, who was now getting to her feet. She could have bent something at her, there was earth all around her. If she had wanted to she could crush her, with earth or with her own bones. She didn't, She just wanted to land a hit with her own hands. Feel the pain in her right hand afterwards, knowing she had inflicted move pain on the girl in front of her. Toph wasn't thinking, her anger had gotten the better of her, The next thing she knew, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders. Her arms were now pulled up to her right shoulder. Zuko had to really try and hold her back, pushing her hands into the side of her neck. He didn't know why she had lost it, but he had a good idea.

The only person that Toph treated with any really respect was Iroh, he was the first person to really treat her like family. She would not here a word said against him. Aang, thou she would never say it ,meat a lot to her. He had given her, her freedom. Even thou he was gone, she still thought of him as part of their misfit family. As such she, and the rest of the family could say that kind of thing about him, but no one else.

"They are worth ten of you, you monster. You think you are so powerful, but you don't know the first thing about bending or real power." she had started to calm down, so Zuko loosened his grip on her.

"You witch, you are going to die." Azula bent lightning that surrounded her right hand with great sped she moved forward to strike Toph. Just as quick Toph moved her right arm in an upward motion. The palm of her hand facing up, like she was going to break someone's nose. Azula's head fly back, as her legs gave way under her.

"Yeah, someday."

After letting out a deep breath, Toph's legs too gave out. Zuko lunged forwards, and was able to catch her before she hit the ground. He was forced down onto his right knee. His left leg bent out, he leaned Toph against his left leg, keeping her head from the ground. Her hair that had been held back ,at the back of her neck had come undone after the fall. she looked so tiny in his arms. His eyes lifted up, to Azula. She had not moved, but he could she her chest moving, taking in air. All he could do now was wait, and think of what to do next.


	8. Chapter 7

The sun had finally resin, it was poring in from the window and landed on the bed, that lay in the centre of the room. The grass and earth had started to try from the rain that poured so strongly that night. Toph had been out for what felt like a days, Zuko had been with her the whole time. This had got a few odd looks form the owner of the inn. Who had, after Toph had been seen to by a healer came to bring Zuko some food. Food that still remained on the table by the door, it had been left on.

The sheets on the bed where white, as was the robe the healer had changed Toph into, as her own clothes were wet and coated in mud. Zuko's clothes had only just started to dry, but they still clung to him. Toph's face against the white sheets seemed to be even paler than normal. Her damp black hair stood out against all of the white. She looked so small.

The adrenaline that had been fuelling Zuko was starting to run out. His eyes tried to close, but he kept them open as best as he could. Finally he gave in, his eyes closed and he rested his head on the side of the bed, held up by his arms, that he had crossed on the mattress.

She started to twitch her hands, as her eyes slowly began to open. The movement of her hand, that lay next to Zuko's head woke him up. Panic rushed through his body, how long had he been asleep, had she been awake for long. When he had pulled himself up, he saw that she look calm, or at least not in any pain.

"How are you feeling." Zuko pulled his chair closer to the bed, so he could hear her.

"Like Appa sat on me." she tried to sit up, but was stopped by the pain that shot through her left side. Zuko reached over to gentle push her back fully onto the bed again.

"I 'm not that heavy." he pretended to be offended, but in truth he was glad she was joking about it. Making light of the situation, in her own way.

"Heavy enough to break two ribs." she again forced herself to sit up, but was only able to make it half way, and that was with the help of the wall at the head of the bed.

Zuko was shaken, the idea that he had hurt her had never crossed his mind. She had seemed fine when she caught up to them "They never said anything about broken ribs." He was now on his feet, and was about to start pacing the room.

Before he could continue to rant, and pace she spoke up "Because there weren't any then. I fixed them after you left…..with bonebending." As she spoke she reached out her arm, taking hold of the sleeve of Zuko's robe. She pulled her arm back, pulling Zuko to sit on the side of the bed next to her.

Zuko looked at the girl sitting next to him, she didn't look like she was in a lot of pain, or tiny and helpless. So he would stop himself from worrying to much about her "That's Right, you still have to explain that to me."

Toph gave a small sigh "bone is minerals, that are like earth. That is why they don't get absorbed into the earth after a body in buried. I read about it from a scroll I found in the library in Omasha." Guessing what he was thinking she kept talking. "Ink is made up of minerals from the earth, I pick up on that." Her voice was still low, and her tone was very matter of fact, but he guessed that was because she was explaining something to him.

"I'm not going to get any more out of you about it am I." he now allowed himself to move back to rest his back against the wall. His head was a few inches above Toph's so he looked down on her. He kept his feet on the floor, which was a little uncomfortable.

"Not when you have a lot to tell me, like what happened." using what strength she could Toph lifted her right arm, to nudge Zuko in the ribs.

Zuko had been a little worried about telling Toph about what had happened, she wasn't going to be happy. With the exception of going after Azula without him, and telling his father what happened with Azula after the war, she had always been honest with him. So he didn't like keeping something from her. He had always tried to be honest with the gang, especially with Toph, as she had been the one to stand up for him.

"The reinforcements arrived, took her away. She is being held in a secure place." he didn't know why, but he was avoiding looking her in the eyes, by lifting his gaze to the calling. He was Afraid she would catch him out.

"What reinforcements" she had an odd tone to her voice, not angry, more like a mother waiting for a naughty child to confess to something. Despite what she was asking, he was glad to hear a stronger tone to her voice. "Zuko!." he had taken to long to come up with an answer that wouldn't get her mad at him, and got her mad anyway.

"That is what I meant to tell you." he tried to let out a laugh, but failed "After you left on the day of the memorial, I ordered a small group of soldiers to fallow us, then intervene when we where ready." He now moved to sit up. Toph didn't let him, her right hand held onto his wrist like a vice. When he allowed himself to turn to face her, he saw a look he was very familiar with in her eyes. It was the look she gave when she was being deadly serious. He used it as a warning to know when he had better do something to make up for whatever he had done that was wrong soon, before she gave him her death glaze. He had felt that once, and didn't want to see it again. So despite the look being directed at him, he was pleased to see it. It made her seem like she had some of her strength back.

"Why didn't you tell me, I could have saved myself a lot of pain." she gave a sharp tug on his arm, casing Zuko to fall back into the space he had been sitting in before. Her grip left his arm, but she maintained the tension in her hand, turning it into a fist. With which she punched him on the arm, it wasn't as sore as it should have been, but his guilt made it worse.

"Sorry, and thank you." that was all he could say, and that was fine because he really meant it, and she knew it.

"You know you don't have to say sorry, or thank me. I already now that. It goes without saying, like me saying I've got your back because I always well." Toph had been facing Zuko's general direction, now she was facing away from him. She was looking, at the wall like she was seeing into the other side, and she more or less was. "You kept one behind."

Toph had picked up on the man sleeping on the next room. From the deep breathes he was taking, she knew he was from the fire nation. "Yeah, he is a healer. I wanted to make sure there was someone that could take care of you."

"what about you." Toph was once again facing the fire nation prince. Before he spoke he knew what he was going to say. "Your arm. It was burnt when you pushed me to ground, to avoid the fire ball."

A faint smile crossed the firebenders face. She had been checking to see if he had, had his arm looked at when she punched him. She missed the burn, not by luck but by design. "Its fine."

Toph let out a sigh, as she held out her right hand. "Get the bottle of ointment, and the bandage for my pack." Zuko didn't move right away. "You did bring my pack here didn't you."

Instead of an answer Zuko left the bed, and walked to the table by the door, where her pack lay. Once he located the items he was in search off, he rolled up is sleeve and opened the bottle. He knew they where meant for him "Hand it over." Zuko lifted his gaze to the blind girl in the bed. "It is going to sting, so you want put enough on." there really was any point arguing with her. The truth was he didn't have the heart to.

Toph still held her hand out, until Zuko placed the ointment, and bandage in it. With the slight lowering of her head, she directed him to sit on the side of the bed, next to her, but facing her. Once he was seated, Toph took a deep breath as she forced herself to sit up without the help of the wall. Before Zuko could push her back, she was sitting only a few inches from him, and ripping a bit of bandage off. She covers the top of the bottle with is, then turned it over, pouring some of the ointment onto the bandage.

True to her word, it did sting. He winched, almost pulled his arm way, but he didn't. "She asked me about you." Zuko didn't know why he told her this, he hadn't planed to. He just felt he had to. The words came out before he had a chance to think about it.

"And what did you tell her." There was a sing song tone to her voice, that couldn't hid her annoyance. Toph has never liked the idea of people talking about her. Epically since she could hear it, if they where close enough.

"Everything I know. Which wasn't a lot by the way."

"What can I say, I am a mystery." with that she pulled on the knot, tying the bandage around his upper left arm.

"She seems to be afraid of you. I have never seen her like that before." Toph could tell that even after everything that had happened he still cared about Azula, as a sister. Zuko had no idea where the tears came form, but that is what happened Toph's eyes started to feel up with tears. She herself didn't know why they had come on all of a sudden. He wrapped his right arm around her neck, and slid his newly bandaged left arm under her right arm, pulling her into him.

"I am a monster, a witch. When I bent her head back I could have done serious damage, and I didn't care. At the time I didn't care. I broke Kenshi's arms. I couldn't kill him, I wanted to so much, but I didn't." this was the first time had heard her saw anything about what happened when she went back to face Kenshi. She had kept that to herself for over a year.

He wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say. Nothing he could say that would make any difference. They stayed quiet for a few minutes till he finally thought of something to say " You are one of the kindest people I know, even if you try and hid it."

He was telling the truth, she knew that. Toph pulled her head back so he could see her face as she spoke "Your not coming back to the fire nation yet." He was confused, not just by her sudden chance of subject but by what she said.

Letting his hand that still lightly held her drop to his side, he moved to stand up "what are you tal….."

"You have to go to Kyoshi Island." she didn't have to say why, he knew. She wanted him to go and talk with Ty Lee. "I know it seems to soon, but it will help. You two knew her better than anyone, you need to talk."

Again he was amazed by how observant she was. For a someone that was blind, she saw things that no one else very picked up on. Like how he had avoided talking to Ty Lee at the memorial. It was just to hard, she was on the brink of tears, and he wasn't letting himself cry.

"I know that you are going to call me a hypocrite. So I'm going back to the fire nation." again she didn't have to say more. She was saying that she was finally ready to talk to his mother, about her birth mother. Since she had found out she had acted like she wasn't dealing with it, just ignoring it. The truth was that she had hunted down Paindao, the one that loved her mother, and spoke with Iroh and Bumi how knew her from the order of the white lotus. She had done this in her own time, as she was ready to deal with it. Urse was the person that she figured knew her mother the best, so she was left for last. She had no intention of speaking to her father anytime soon. When she did speak to him again, there was a lot she wanted to say, and she still didn't have it all figured out, what she wanted to say.

Again Zuko moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Why don't we both go back to the fire nation. Then we can go to Kyoshi island."

"No Zuko. This is something that we have to do on our own." he knew she was telling the truth, he hated it when she was right "Plus Suki will kill us, if we don't let her know what is going on soon."

"You are going to stay here and rest, until the healer says you can travel, and he will go back with you." Zuko was trying to be as authoritarian as he could. Toph however let a small smile creep across her face.

"Of course he will come back to the fire nation, with me. That is were he lives." Zuko now too had a slight smile on his face.

As the light of the sun poured through the window more brightly, Zuko noticed how tired Toph looked. Without saying anything he picked up the bottle of ointment, and got up to place it back in her pack. He glanced back at her. Toph had allowed herself to lie back down in the bed. Again the smile came to his face as he thought that she had known that he had realised she was tired and was going to leave to let her rest. Than had know what the other was going to do with out having to say anything. He knew that that was very rear, for people to read each others moods so well.


	9. Chapter 8

It had taken Zuko almost three days to get to Kyoshi island. He had been delayed a day, as he wanted to make sure Toph was going to be ok before he left. When he left She was able to sit up and walk for a bit on her own, she had almost pushed him out the door when he said he might wait another day or two before he left. That was one thing he had learned about Toph, she was very good at getting her own way, making her point, but she never went about this in the normal way.

The sun was at its peak as the small village came into sight. He had planed out in his head all the things he wanted to say, but they went out of his head now. They seemed so stupid, what could they say to teach other that would make any difference to how they were feeling. Stopping about forty feet from the outskirts of the village, Zuko turned round to face the way he had come. As he was about to take a step, retracing the steps he had already taken, he stopped again. He heard a voice in his head, telling him to turn around and keep going. She hadn't forced the issue of him coming here, but like him leaving she had made her point very clear. she truly believed that he should come here. For some reason that was enough. Taking a deep breath, clenching his hands a little, Zuko turned round going fall circle and continued his walk to the village.

As he walked through the village, not knowing where he was going, he felt his eyes darting around. He was looking for her, more franticly than he had expected. The need now to find her, unburden himself to someone that would understand, and to let her do the same, was so strong.

Around one of the corners that looked the same as the many ones he had already turned, she was there. She was sitting on the ground her back to him. Her legs where stretched out in front of her. Despite his need to see her, he couldn't move.

Ty lee felt a pair of familiar eyes on her. Clenching her eyes shut as she sat up, she only opened them again just before she turned to face him.

There was no smiles as the two old friends faced each other. Neither knew what to say. A cold wind blew. getting hair in Ty lee's eyes. Once she had pushed the strand of hair behind her ear, she looked at Zuko and saw that he was about to say something, as he took a step towards her.

Before he could get a sound out, or take other step forwards Ty lee had ran at him. She had her arms rapped around his chest, burring her head in his robe. Slowly he raised his hands, placing one on her back, and the other on the back of her head. After a few seconds, and with no sign that she was going to let go anytime soon, Zuko rested his chin on the top of her head.

That was something he used to do with Mai, but she soon got to tall. Toph was a little to short for him to rest his head comfortably, but that never matter at the time. Ty lee was a little taller than was comfortably, but it gave him some comfort never the less.

After a few minutes Ty lee pulled away. She finally looked zuko in the face, giving him a slight, yet warm smile. She walked over to a bench a few feet away, Zuko followed "How have you been."

Again a slight smile appeared on the acrobats face. "I think we can leave out the small talk, don't you."

"Yeah, I think your right." Zuko turned his head away from her. "What do you remember the most about her."

With a pause. "She had this look, whenever I would do something to annoy her. It was like she was trying so hard to not lash out at me."

Zuko let out a faint laugh. "Yeah. I remember that look."

"I cant believe I am never going to see that look again." Ty lee was now looking down at the ground, at her feet. The tone in her voice was not one that Zuko was used to hearing from her. He turned back to her. He expected to see tears falling form her eyes to the ground, but there weren't any. She was stronger than he had given her credit for.

"Nether can I. but….." he paused, he didn't know if what he was about to say would help her. It didn't help him to think of it, it just seemed so corny. "We can still remember her."

"I know, but I am scared that I will forget her. That one day I wont be able to remember what she looked like, or sounded like." Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder. As she leaned further forward, hiding her face from him.

He had never let himself think about this. It had been the thing that scared him, and made him the most angry about losing his mother. He had found about a year after she left that he could no longer remember what her voice sounded like. Little over two years and he could no longer picture her. He didn't want to admit to himself that the same thing would happen with Mai. There was also no way he was going to let Ty lee know this. So he lied. "That doesn't have to happen."

"What are you going to miss about her the most." Ty lee had now pulled her had up, but still didn't look at him.

"Her smile, and when she blushed. She never did ether very often. They were rare, that made them more special." as he spoke he could picture her face, he made the most of it knowing it wouldn't last.

Ty lee took in a deep breath as she turned to face him, now ready to ask the question she most wanted answered. "You caught her didn't you, were is she now."

Zuko hadn't expected her to know what he had been doing before he came here. It had been silently understood by everyone how Mai had died. They knew they just didn't say. "She's taken care of. She isn't going to cause any more problems." he spoke as if he had planned out every word, like he was going to have to say the same exact words over and over again, and he didn't want to say more.

She wanted to ask him to tell her exactly what had happened, what he was keeping from her, she had a right to know. She didn't thou, she felt that the link that had been connecting her to the fire nation, her birth place had been severed when Mai died, the only thing that held her to it now was Zuko, and she didn't want to risk losing him now, by pushing him to far.

A comfortable silence washed over them, as they sat on the bench with the cool breeze coming in from the see. There was a lot more that they had to say, but this was enough for now.

It took Toph two days to be well enough to travel. By the time she left to return to the fire nation, Zuko was a day away from Kyoshi Island. On the day she left the ship at the fire nation capital, Zuko had began his journey home.

The healer that had stayed behind with her left he at the dock under her instance. He told her that a carriage was ready and waiting at the dock at all times and would take her to the palace, but she walked right passed it. She worried that she would be noticed by the driver, but she was able to slip past him. Her hair was down, and had a wave to it after being socked in the rain, and not being dried properly, so she lowered her head and hid behind it as she negotiated the streets. Avoiding anyone recognising her.

Her body was still not totally healed from the fall, but she welcomed that dull ache that spread through her whole body with every step. It stopped her from feeling numb, like she had been for so long now. It seemed that she was going to have to admit that Zuko was right about her, she did have a masochistic personality, with no sense of self-preservation. In the back f her head she worried how far this was going to go, how far she would keep pushing herself. At some point she would push herself too far in her need to feel anything, good or bad.

When she reached the palace, the two guards opened the doors for her, and stepped aside. As far as she knew no one knew she was coming, so she slowed down as she pasted them, waiting for them to say something. They didn't, they didn't even turn to look at her. She felt their hearts speed up a little thou.

Urse was sitting in a large room, with shelves covering most of the four walls, filled with scrolls. There was a large window that looked out over the garden, a fire place in the corner and a large comfortable chair, with a foot stool. As Toph entered the room, Urse put down the scroll she was reading and turned to face the young earthbender.

Even thou she wouldn't see it, Urse gave Toph a small smile. "You knew I was going didn't you."

"Yes, Zuko sent a message ahead. How are you, come and sit down." as she spoke Urse moved to sit on the foot stool, letting Toph sit in the chair, but Toph beat her to it, and sat on the foot stool. Once she was sitting across from her Urse wanted to reach out to comfort the teenager, but stopped herself. This was hard enough for her, she had to let her deal with it in her own time.

Toph held he hands in her lap, picking at her finger nails. Her head stayed lowered to the ground. "So. Zuko told you….."

"Yes. He told me what happened." her mothering instincts won out, and the fire nation princess reached out to the earth kingdom lady across from her. Taking her hands in hers, she held them tightly. "it's ok. These things have to be the way they are. I'm only sorry that you have been pulled into all of this."

There was a so much that Toph wanted to say in response to that, but couldn't get any of them out. She wanted to say that she didn't get pulled in, that it was her choice. That she has happy to help, that it was what she needed. That doing things like that, that pushed her was the only way she could feel alive now. She didn't say any of this, instead all she could get out was. "Am I really like her."

Urse remained her hold on Toph's hands as she moved a little closer to her. "Yes. You look just like her. You hide it, but like her you are very caring. Always putting other peple ahead of yourself. Even if it means you getting hurt." again Toph wanted to speak, tell her that she had her all wrong, but no words would come out. She could also tell that she wasn't lying, that she meant whatever she was saying, at least Urse herself believed it to be true. "You act like your grandfather more thou. Stubborn, brave and very loyal. So reckless, but with such a big heart. From what Zuko has told me thou, I think you got your mother temper. She was so quick to lash out and get wound up." Urse let out a quiet laugh as she thought of her lost friend.

Toph to found herself letting out a tiny laugh. In doing so she left a little of the wall she had built up around her, holding in all her emotions, feeling, falling away. "how old was she when you meet her."

"I was a year older than her, I was thirteen so I think she must have been twelve."

"That was the same age I was, when I met Aang" there should have been more to what she said, and the others, when I left home, she never finished. Urse rubbed her thumbs along Toph's knuckles, to comfort her. Her missing friend was still a touchy subject, it was for Zuko too. "Did my father….Did he know…"

"He didn't know she was a member of the white lotus. He knew that she a part of something thou, and it was very important to her. He loved your mother so much, he would do anything to make her happy." there was a look that crossed the young girls face that showed she didn't fully agree with what she was hearing. "All that he has done, has come from love."

"I know, But he still sent people after me to kidnap me, disowned me, and tried to make me into the person he wanted me to be." this was the first time Toph had told anyone that she had been kidnapped, that that was how she learned metalbending. Before Urse could speak Toph continued. "Would things be any different….if she had….lived."

Urse slowly let Toph's hands slip from hers, as he leaned back in the chair, thinking about the question. There was no answer she could give that was going to make the earthbender feel any better, but there was a way to make it worse. She had to pick her words very carefully. "I don't know for sure…..but I think, I know she would have been so proud of you, of all that you have done." Toph moved, as if to stand up. This was the kind of answer she had expected to get, it didn't tell her anything.

"You probably would have been trained by your grandfather, when your earthbending developed." a few seconds ago she had made the choice not to tell Toph what she thought was the real answer to her question, but here she was telling her anyway. It was the look on her face, so lost that made her speak. No matter if it hurt her to hear, she wanted, and needed to hear the answer. "She would have taught you how to use weapons, and you would have developed your herbalist skills sooner. You know, the order of the white lotus was founded in the earth kingdom, by two friends. One was a gifted earthbender, and the other a blind swordsman. Your mother and grandfather were jokingly thought by some of us to be our version of our founders. I think you would have been seen as the embodiment of them both."

"So I would have been a member of the order of the white lotus. So you think that means I still would have meet Aang and the others."

"Yes, I think you would. I believe that in life something's are meant to happen, and they cant be changed no matter what. You being the avatars earthbending teacher is one. From what Iroh has said, there is no one else that could have do what you did."

"I want to join the order."

Toph had lifted her head and was now looking by shear luck into the eyes of the older women. There was a look of determination on her face, that Urse had never seen there before, but had seen so many times on a very similar face. "Toph. You have so many other responsibilities, you're the ambassador of the earth kingdom and the earth king, and Bumi keep you very busy. You are only fifteen, there is time for this latter on." she knew this wasn't going to appease the grand master earthbender.

"I am a genera….."

"Toph. This is not the time. I understand that you want to be apart of…."

"the other thing that killed my mother."

Urse didn't have to try and think about what the other was referring to. Yes Toph's mother had been killed from severe blood loss, from Toph's birth and being hit in the back with an arrow. It was clear that Toph blamed herself the most for her mothers death. This was in someway a way to make it up to her, to continue what she started.

"You have done more than she ever could have hopped to do, or myself. She like use believed that the avatar would return to end the war, and took on the job of doing what we could to add him. That meant stopping the fire nation from taking hold of the earth kingdom mainly. She would never have dreamed of being able to fight by the avatars side, helping him directly achieving his destiny. She would have been so proud of you. You have taken her dream and made it a reality" she now lead closer to the young girl. Wrapping her arms around her shoulder. "you don't have to live for her" she whispered this in her ear.

Despite what Urse said, Toph knew that no matter what in the back of her mind there was always going to be a part of her that would be telling her to live her life not just for herself, but for her mother, and the others that she had lost. It was never going to go away.

**There you go, hope you like it. Sorry it has taken so long to up date. There is one more chapter in this story, then it is finished and I will move onto the next part. So like always any comments, opinions or ideas for this or future parts of the story are always very welcome. Please review, thank you. **


	10. Chapter 9

Zuko looked out at the fire nation, as his ship came into dock. The sun was still rising into the sky, and was now behind the palace casting odd shadows over it. He had only been gone for eight days, but he felt like the city had changed or maybe it was him that had changed. the gangway was finally fixed in place, so he could leave the ship he had been confined to for the last three days. He had been standing at the rail watching the capital getting closer since he woke, so as he walked down the gangway departing the ship, he worried his legs would give out under him.

Once back on soiled ground, he took a minute to stop. He let his eyes glace over all the people that where rushing all around him, and them past them to the buildings of the city that lined the dock. Finally he lifted his gaze to the palace, home. Letting out a deep breath, as he set his sights on the path in front of him that would lead him home. As the crowds fell away a little, he could see a figure standing a few feet away from him right in his path.

Trying hard to hold back a laugh, as he gentle shock his head Zuko finally got a good look at the oh so familiar figure in-front of him. His eyes meet her blind gaze, as a all knowing smile spread across her face. She had to have know he was here since he left the ship. "I don't know what to say." he finally let out the laugh he had been holding.

"Well that's great sparky, cause neither do I." their laughter filled the ten feet or so between them. A second later Toph dropped her right arm that was holding onto her pack, that was swung over her shoulder. The pack dropped with her arm, as she in one quick move closed the space between them. Once she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Zuko lifted his arms, placing them around her upper back. The hug was casing them both some pain. Toph's right arm was putting pressure on the burn on Zuko's left arm, and Toph's still bruised ribs where being pressed into by Zuko's tight hold. Neither of them let these things force them to end the hug till they were ready.

"So, your back."

"And your leaving."

Toph walked over to the pick up her pack, Zuko followed her. "You were taking to long getting back. I got board waiting for you."

"If that was true, it would Be very sweet." Toph shout him a look of fake shock and hurt, as she gave him a slightly gentle punch to his right arm.

As Toph repositioned her pack, and Zuko moved his to hold more securely, a silence washed over them. All the people swarming all around them had seemed to fade away, when they saw each other. Now the noise of the people and the sea came crashing into their consusieness again.

Toph turned her head to face the ship, as she did a panic rushed over Zuko. He didn't want her to go just let. There was a few things he wanted to talk to her about. Mainly he wanted to know how her talk with his mother had gone. "Do you have to leave right away, or do you have time for a tea."

"Tea. Well I've had three cups already." she continued in a reluctant tone. "But I think I can go from one more cup with you." she started to walk back into the city, Zuko was a few steps behind her. "Come on sparky, it's your treat."

Toph was a little reluctant to stay any longer in the fire nation. She had been glad that she might get away before Zuko returned, but she did want to know how he was doing now.

The tea shop Toph lead them to was in the old part of the city, located down a narrow alley. Iroh had taken them both there a few days before they had left to find Zuko's mother. He told them that when he was younger, and it had just opened it was the most popular tea shop in the city. Over time with the population moving more to the other side of the city, it became less visited by most people. They took up the table in the back, were they wouldn't be over heard. Zuko had also noticed people staring at himself and Toph, and was glad to be out of their gaze for a little while.

Once they had filled the other in on the details of the conversions they had had with Urse and Ty lee, Zuko asked Toph the question that he had wanted to ask her since Mai's memorial. "What dose it feel like thinking that you are going to die." while he spoke he kept his eyes on the half empty cup of tea in front of him. He didn't want to see the look on Toph's face when he asked her.

"Why are you asking me that." she wasn't trying to avoid answering his question, she really didn't understand why he was asking her it in the first place. "You would know better than me." he didn't say anything, but she could tell he too didn't understand the question he was asked. "katara told me. You took a lightning bolt to the chest, to protect her. That must have hurt, you must have…"

"Stop it."

An uneasy silence came over the table. Toph crossed her arms, and leaned back against the wall behind her. He was a little angry, but more than anything she could feel his frustration screaming at her through his vibrations. "You were talking about when Sokka and I nearly feel from a air ship, onto the very hard earth a long way down. Right."

Zuko finally lifted his gaze from the tea cup, to the blind girl across from him. He nodded, he couldn't find his voice. Toph unfolded her arms and mover to rest them on the table in front of her. She now was the one with eyes set on the table.

"When we were falling, before he hit the platform….I was sacred, more scared than I have ever been in my life. Then Sokka hit the platform, and I was left dangly in the air. The only thing that I was aware of was his hand in mine. That was all that connected me to…life, I guess." taking the tea cup in her hands, she lifted it an inch off the table then put it back down. " I was angry with him. I knew that he would never let go off my hand on his own. If he did then he would have bee safe, part of me wanted him to let go. I was just dead weight…."

"Don't say that, you….."

"You asked me the question. Now do you want to answer or not." she took his silence as a yes. " I was useless, I never wanted to be a burden. I thought about letting go myself, but I was to much of a coward, and he said to hold on. I though maybe he had a plan. When my hand started to slip, I heard a voice in my head telling me to just hold a little longer. It wasn't Sokka, or myself it was Aang."

Zuko noticed that she was knowing twirling the pendent attached to the bracelet Aang gave her, making her grand master earthbender. He reached out, placing his hand over hers, stopping her from twirling it. "That made me so angry. I wasn't going to get to be there to know how he did, if he had beaten the fire lord. All the stuff that I wasn't going to do, or find out rushed though my head. My hand finally slipped out off Sokka's. for the few seconds that I was falling, all the stuff I thought I was going to miss didn't matter. I wasn't scared or angry. I was." she took a pause to try and find the right word. The best she could do was. "content. I knew that I had done all that I could to help. There wasn't any more I could do."

Once she had finished talking, she and Zuko both became aware of the fact that Zuko still had his right hand placed over hers. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, before removing his hand. "it was the opposite for me. I was so angry that I was going to miss the end of all that we had worked towards. I was so worried for Katara, Aang all of you, and so mad that I was powerless to do anything to help. I never felt that it was ok that I had done all I could do and let it go."

Toph had her eyes facing his direction, as she folded her arms again and leaned back. It seemed to Zuko that she was looking him over measuring him up. "You weren't going to die, that's why."

She was right, his wound had been sever but it wasn't going to be life threatening. Falling from an air ship , now that was life threatening. It still seemed odd, like he was seeing a different side to Toph, or looking at her in different way. Of all the people he knew she was the one that he believed would be the one that would hold on the tightest to life in a situation like that. She was so tenacious at times, she never let anything go. It seemed out of character, that she was so excepting of what was very likely to happen.

"You should be getting back to the palace, Iroh's back, and your mother will want to see you." while she had spoken Zuko had finished the last of his tea. This was her way of telling him that she had nothing left that she wanted to say, and was ready to end the conversation.

Trying to suppress a laugh "Yeah. I think the ship should be ready to board now too." he was now on his feet ready to pay and leave.

"I think I'm going to stay here a little longer, finish my tea. You go thou."

Zuko moved over to stand next to her seat, he looked down and saw that she hadn't really drank any of her tea. It had to be cold by now. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he lowered his head to he level. He kissed her on the top of her head. "Thank you Toph." as he walked out of the tea shop he didn't look back he get his eyes on the road ahead of him, his future.

**I hope you have enjoyed readying this part of the story. I am ready looking forward to starting to work on rewriting the next part. Then I plan to add a new part to the story. I plan to add five new parts. Making it a twenty part story. **

**The part at the end about Zuko looking to the future, was a little bit to do with him being fire lord, as he will be the fore lord in the next part. **


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